You may already know that Hollie England toured with The Illusionsists, was a top 5 finalist in the Cyber
Magic Superstar competition, appeared on Masters of Illusion, created Booked It, and was the director for Jamie Allan's Illusionarium in Toronto.
Did you know that Hollie will be part of the Champions of Magic World Wide Wonders Tour early next year? Learn more about Hollie in the first of a series of cast interviews leading up to the Champions of Magic shows in Kitchener and Peterborough early next year.
What wondrous and extraordinary magical effect would you have shown
me had I been there to interview you in person?
I
wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise for anyone who may see the effect
in the future but it would definitely involve 2 of my favorite things -
celebrities and fire!
What is your first memory of magic?
I used to always love watching the magic shows
at the resorts we used to stay at on vacations to Spain and Italy when I
was around 8 years old. I grew up in England watching Paul Daniels,
Tommy Cooper and The Masked Magician (I know, how scandalous!) on TV. My
parents still have the deck of cards that came with my ‘Wizbit Instant
Magic Book’ as a kid (although I secretly wanted to be Debbie McGee
because she was a ballet dancer like me).
Who inspires you that is not a magician?
Outside of magic, I’d say choreographer Bob Fosse (they say he is the
only man who should tell a woman what to do with her body) and Gwen
Stefani for her style.
Who inspires you magically?
Dai Vernon once said ‘Pick a trick and learn how to do it better than
anyone else,’ and the most inspiring magicians for me have done this
and are both creative and original: Enzo Weyne (France) is a true engineer
of stage illusions and I love how his presentations always end with an
unexpected twist. I love watching Cyril Takayama perform and wish I could
experience his show live. Jeff Hobson and Dan Sperry are, to me,
unparalleled in how they refine character, comedy and branding for a
modern audience. Jamie Allan (UK) is flawless at fusing magic and
technology beautifully, using iPads, laser beams and social media. Lastly,
from Korea, Yu Hojin is the epitome of class and elegance. I’ve been
mesmerized watching his acts literally hundreds of times live and he is
the (rightly crowned) master of manipulation, but also of expression and
art in magic.
In this age of computer and
robotic wizardry, why do you think audiences are still drawn to
mentalism, sleight of hand, and illusion?
Arthur C Clarke said:
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from
magic.”
Human nature will always want to be mystified and astonished and
this magical feeling can truly be achieved through the right
presentation and interaction. Technology and magic have evolved
hand-in-hand and there will always be magical minds staying one step
ahead and thinking of ways to fool people.
Above everything, we are performers and as Fitzkee says, the key to
winning over an audience is to: ‘Make them like you better than
your magic’.
Many magicians have a Canadian connection to magic.
Not including your recent Illusionarium experience, tell us about
your Canadian magic connection.
Other
than quoting Dai Vernon at the top of this article(!), I have worked
with Canadian magician Darcy Oake. His attention to detail and
modern approach to magic make him one of the most entertaining
illusionists out there, as proven by his success on Britain’s Got
Talent. I’m also a fan of Shin Lim, of course, who is the current
king of TV magic.
What, if anything, makes you nervous about joining the Champions
family?
I have very large shoes (heels) to fill! Kayla* was the first
female magician I saw perform at the Magic Castle in Hollywood many
years ago and have followed her journey ever since.
* Editor's note: Kayla Drescher will be leaving the Champions
family next month and will not be present at their upcoming Canadian
performances.
What are you most looking forward to about joining the Champions of
Magic family?
Having been a fan of ‘Champions of Magic’ since I watched
from the audience a few years ago, I am beyond thrilled to be joining
the show. It’s a huge opportunity to be offered the chance to create
and share new magic all over the world and I’m very excited to be
working with such an outstanding cast and team.
The Great Pause (COVID Lockdowns)
Did you experience
any silver linings?
I started off being
really productive and creative, wanting to use this ‘free time’
wisely to really work on my stage act, researching and getting
inspiration from books & videos & then getting feedback from
magic mentors.
What was your comfort binge?
There were definitely the days where I stayed in pajamas,
binge watched documentaries and ‘That Chapter’ YouTube channel and
ordered vegan sushi on Ubereats.
Were you able to
explore your personal passions?
I wanted to do
something creative that didn’t feel like ‘work’ and so started to
draw and paint again. I got an overwhelming response to my art &
ended up selling my designs on tee’s, mugs, posters etc on
Teespring- so it ended up being ‘work’ anyway! Most recently, I
bought a piano keyboard and started to learn to play. I let myself
do something it’s ok to suck at!
Did The Great Pause allow you to do anything that you wouldn't
likely have been able to accomplish if you were touring?
There were definitely phases of adjustment as I have lived
‘on tour’ for most of my adult life. Living on my own but having
been used to being around a cast 24/7, connection was very
important. I joined a lot of online magic events (which ultimately
led me to my boyfriend!), lectures, Facebook groups, virtual jam
sessions and then was able to get a ticket for the stream of Rick
Thomas’ show in Branson.
How did you keep your skills fresh and performance ready?
I gave myself a deadline by applying to the ‘Cyber
Magic Superstar’ competition during lockdown. I had to develop
and practice my brand new act every day in order to get a good
enough take to submit to the competition which was to be judged by
Max Maven, Franz Harary and Shin Lim. Ultimately it’s how I started
getting noticed and taken seriously as a magician when my video got
shared throughout the magic community. I won a place in the top 5
and got featured in Franz Harary’s virtual shows as one of his
favorite entries.
Did you have to adjust anything in your set to incorporate COVID
precautions?
There’s a moment in my show where the volunteer pulls something out of
my mouth. I think I’ll be doing it myself from now on!
Was there anything
particularly memorable about your first live performance after The
Great Pause?
It was a sold out show (but socially distanced) at ‘Late
Night Magic’ at the Alexis Park Resort in Las Vegas. I had just been
filming the ‘Go Big Show’ with Ben Blaque where we had to perform to
an empty arena with no live audience (apart from the 4 celebrity
judges).
To look out for the first time and actually see and hear
real people’s faces and reactions was a reminder of why we are
performers!
Have audience
reactions to live magic performances changed after Lockdown?
When audiences come to see a live show, they enter as an
individual and leave as a group, because they’ve all been bound
together by the same experience. I think that this feeling is
intensified after lockdown as people have been missing and craving
social interactions.
If you could go back in time to study (magic or otherwise) under
anybody, who would you choose to be your mentor?
Having toured the world since 2008 with many high profile
illusion shows, I’ve been blessed to have access to some of the
greatest minds in magic. Since I decided I wanted to become a
magician, the respect, encouragement, mentorship, friendship and
one-on-one help (plus materials and ideas) I received from talented
names such as Kevin James, Luis De Matos, Bizarro, Brett Daniels, Dan
Sperry and FISM.
World Champion Yu Hojin has been overwhelming. I’d like to think it
was because I’m a rare breed of crazy girl, genuinely interested in
magic, addicted to performing and hungry to learn and create. What a
rare dream come true to be able to direct, work and spend time with so
many of these people who inspire and help me with my own act.
What’s your go-to Karaoke song?
I once did a cirque show with a very muscly, butch, Russian
strongman and we sang ‘It’s Raining Men’ at karaoke in Niagara.
However, my favorite thing is watching my boyfriend, who always
dresses in a full suit, slay at karaoke with ‘Rap God’. It’s a little
insane.
If you could only perform one effect for the rest of your life,
what would it be?
Probably the Quick Change. I have way too many clothes and
not enough suitcase space to wear them all!
If you could eliminate other performers performing an effect forever,
what would it be?
A great magician can take any effect and make it into a
great performance through unique, charismatic and dynamic
presentation.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I’m so grateful for the opportunity to perform with these
wonderful, magical artists and to be able to return to Canada for
some Tim Horton’s!
